Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-11-07
THE CAMAS NO. 2.
1t IL = Valuable Property that Can
Undoubtedly be Made TO Pay-The
Comparatively Good Success Achieved
There By . Reputable Mining En-.

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There By . Reputable Mining En-.
yineer.
A TINES reporter interviewed q
gentleman, last Saturday, who gave
him more satisfactory information
about the Camas No. 2 mine aud mill
than has been publicly known before.
The gentleman referred to is John r.
Parks, E. NJ, who is stopping at the
Alturas, when in town, and who will
remain here q while longer.
Professor Parks at FIRST demurred to
the interview; but the newspaper
man urging upon him the necessity
Of an explanation of the seeming
failure of our crack Gold Belt prop
er.y, he finally consented to say
few words.
Mr.. Parks was formerly Professor
of Mechanical Engineering at the
School OF Mines, Columbia College,
and while there associated with MIR.
Churchill, one of the recent leasers of
the No. 2 property, then Professor Of
Stereotomy at the same institution.
And it is owing to the close person !
relations existing between the two
gentlemen heretofore that they be-
came associated here.
When Messrs. Churchill and Chase
leased the Camas No. property, they
had written guarantees that the ore
would yield certain freq gold value per
ton. Their lease WAS for three months.
The first month was spent in putting
the mine in shape, repairing the mill,
putting in new working parts, etc.;
after which preparations were conf
IDENTIFY made for = steady 60 days
run. After running about a month
longer, and making various expert
ments, the leasers became satisfied
that the ore was not yielding as much
as they had been assured that 1t
would. They therefore resolved to
concentrate their tailings, which they
had heretofore allowed to run to
waste. Two or three systems or
| processes of concentration were there
upon tried; but with unsatisfactory
results.
Satisfied from the assays, pan and
other tests that much greater value
could DO got out Of the ore, Mr..
Churchill induced Mr.. Parks to come
out from New York City to expert
mens during tho remaining month of
the lease. The last named gentleman
came At once, but, unfortunately,
reached hero only about two weeks
before the expiration Of the lease.
The leasers endssvored to obtain 4
renewal. but unsuccessfully. Hence
the comparatively disastrous result.
"When took hold" said Mr..
Parks, "the vsnners were in the open
air, with dust, chips, etc flying about
1t was impossible to work them at
night, owing to the water freezing on
the vanners, and | was unable to Sc
cure the sdvanrage-which is always
very important in making expert
ments--of = continuous run Of over
eight hours per day. This and the
fact that the ore was entirely un
known to me, and that the required
appliances could not be obtained,
combined to make the surroundings
and circumstances under which | ex.
perimen,ed very discouraging. Suf
fee 1t to say that after taking one Of
the vanners down and setting it up
again, and obtaining a workable sup
ply Of water by means of the new
boiler and some 1900 feet of two.
inch pipe put in place by Messrs.
Churchill and Chase, ! became con.
WINGED tina. could treat the ore sue
ccssfully. That is to say, l could pay
the expense Of running the mine and
mill, and clear good profit from the
concentrations. All this consumed
much valuable time, however, so tina,
We scarcely got to running smoothly
J over 20 hours before the lease ex.
pred, and only made one unin.errupt-
} ed eight hours run.
"During those eight hours, with
} two Frue vanners running on ,ailings
somewhat enriched by crude process.
, Of concentration, and a very mad
equate supply Of water we produced
, 1900 pounds Of concentrations thai
will assay between $50 and $50 pei